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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pit — in a race
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wind — moving air
  16. file — a document
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. file — a tool
  24. branch — a division

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