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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. firm — a company
  3. cap — of ice
  4. firm — decided
  5. staff — employees
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bear — the animal
  10. firm — steady
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spell — magic
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — letters
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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