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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 124 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mark — a trace
  9. file — a document
  10. roll — a list
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mine — for digging
  13. file — a tool
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bear — the animal

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