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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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mug — a face
  4. branch — a division
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. scale — in music
  17. mug — a cup
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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