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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. last — final
  8. bat — the animal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. hand — in cards
  16. kid — child
  17. fine — all right
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — help

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