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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. spring — of water
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. drill — army training
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spring — the season
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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