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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. march — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — the month
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bear — the animal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. march — the month
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — happy
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. content — the amount
  22. mine — for digging
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. saw — the tool

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