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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. track — to keep track
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fine — all right
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — a safe
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mine — for digging
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rest — a break
  24. mine — an explosive

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