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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. mug — a cup
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mug — a face
  8. spell — a short time
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mug — to rob
  11. tube — the underground
  12. craft — a skill
  13. spell — letters
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tube — a container
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. spring — the season
  22. roll — a cake
  23. spell — magic
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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