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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spell — letters
  6. shower — rain
  7. bear — the animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — after costs
  11. bore — to drill
  12. net — for catching
  13. shower — to wash
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. net — in sport
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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