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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. foot — a measure
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tear — to rip
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. drill — army training
  11. fine — all right
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. drill — the tool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bear — the animal
  24. leaves — of a tree

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