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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pit — a hole
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. content — happy
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pit — in a race
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hand — help
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hand — in cards
  24. arm — part of the body

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