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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. ground — a position
  10. root — of a word
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hand — help
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. toast — bread
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. spell — magic
  23. root — the cause
  24. spell — a short time

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