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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bound — obliged
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. club — for golf
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cell — a phone
  9. club — a group
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bound — certain
  14. toast — bread
  15. file — a document
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. file — a tool
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. club — for dancing
  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