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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 112 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spell — magic
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cap — a hat
  13. spell — a short time
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. season — of the year
  18. cap — of ice
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. spell — letters
  22. rock — music
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fan — a supporter

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