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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. suit — clothes
  3. craft — boats
  4. spring — a coil
  5. craft — a skill
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spring — the season
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. charge — a price
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. charge — electricity
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. charge — in control
  23. spring — of water
  24. pitcher — a jug

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