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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. file — a line of people
  12. last — finally
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. file — a tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. last — final
  21. file — a document
  22. last — to go on
  23. bear — the animal
  24. club — for dancing

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