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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. roll — a list
  3. tube — a container
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cell — in biology
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bear — the animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. craft — boats
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. last — finally
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mark — a grade
  18. last — final
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. craft — a skill
  22. last — to go on
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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