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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · present · fan · wave · cap · bay · bark · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bear — the animal
  7. present — a gift
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. present — there
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. present — the time now
  24. cap — of ice

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