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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cap — a hat
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bulb — for light
  8. march — the month
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mine — for digging
  11. march — music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. suit — clothes
  19. perch — the fish
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. perch — for a bird

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