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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. drill — the tool
  4. root — the cause
  5. drill — army training
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — of a word
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. drill — a practice
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. root — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. capital — a city
  22. bear — the animal
  23. capital — money
  24. fan — a supporter

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