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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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. plane — an aircraft
  4. mug — a cup
  5. content — the amount
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mine — for digging
  8. stock — goods
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mug — a face
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fall — the season
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fall — to drop
  17. plane — a tool
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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