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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. suit — in cards
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. suit — to fit
  11. snap — to click
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. suit — clothes
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com