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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. last — finally
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. suit — to fit
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bear — the animal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lean — thin
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fall — the season
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bear — the animal
  19. clip — a video
  20. last — to go on
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. suit — clothes
  23. last — final
  24. pit — a hole

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