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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wind — moving air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wind — moving air
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stand — to bear
  15. root — the cause
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. root — of a word
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. root — of a plant
  23. prune — to trim
  24. racket — for tennis

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