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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bound — certain
  5. bear — the animal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. spring — the season
  11. cap — a hat
  12. spring — of water
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bound — obliged
  15. face — part of the head
  16. charge — in control
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bound — tied together
  22. spring — a coil
  23. face — to confront
  24. stand — on your feet

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