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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fall — the season
  3. season — in sport
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. capital — a city
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. mark — a trace
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. tube — the underground
  15. capital — money
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. season — of the year
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tube — a container
  21. mark — a grade
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. craft — a skill

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