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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.

Make a worksheet

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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. track — to keep track
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. face — to point toward
  7. date — the fruit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. object — a thing
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. track — a path
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. face — to confront
  16. object — an aim
  17. face — part of the head
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mine — for digging
  20. object — to protest
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spell — magic
  23. track — a song
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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