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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. race — the arms race
  3. clip — a video
  4. foot — a measure
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — a trail
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — the animal
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bear — the animal
  14. race — a contest
  15. track — a path
  16. clip — to cut
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. clip — for paper
  19. track — a song
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. race — humankind

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