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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.

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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. season — in sport
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kick — in football
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wind — moving air
  15. drill — the tool
  16. season — of the year
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. rest — what's left

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