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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. track — a song
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spell — letters
  10. wake — a trail
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. spell — magic
  14. staff — employees
  15. lean — thin
  16. staff — employees
  17. key — for a lock
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. key — in music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bat — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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