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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. clip — a video
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — in a road
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. face — to confront
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. face — to point toward
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. clip — to cut
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bear — the animal

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