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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to click
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. shower — rain
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. racket — for tennis

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