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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spring — of water
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — help
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rest — a break
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. spring — a coil
  18. roll — a list
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. spring — the season
  21. bark — to shout
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rest — what's left

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