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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. saw — the tool
  6. club — for golf
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. present — the time now
  11. bear — the animal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spell — a short time
  15. present — a gift
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. club — a group
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. present — there

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