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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. last — to go on
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. last — final
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. suit — clothes
  16. clip — for paper
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. clip — a video
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bear — the animal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. last — finally
  24. clip — to cut

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