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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tear — to rip
  5. capital — a city
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. capital — money
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. perch — the fish
  15. key — in music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. present — there
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. key — the most important part
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. present — a gift
  22. bark — to shout
  23. present — the time now
  24. capital — a big letter

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