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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wake — a trail
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — to paddle
  9. snap — to click
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bear — the animal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. field — a subject
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — a line
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pass — a permit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pass — to spend time

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