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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rest — a break
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ground — a position
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rest — what's left
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wind — moving air
  18. perch — the fish
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rest — what's left
  23. plane — a tool
  24. perch — for a bird

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