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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wound — an injury
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bear — the animal
  11. club — a group
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rock — music
  16. club — for golf
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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