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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. firm — decided
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spell — letters
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. firm — a company
  10. spell — magic
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. march — the month
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fall — the season
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fall — to drop
  20. march — the month
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. firm — steady
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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