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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mug — a face
  3. kid — child
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mug — a cup
  6. net — for catching
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mate — to breed
  9. net — after costs
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rest — what's left
  15. net — in sport
  16. rest — a break
  17. mate — a friend
  18. kid — to tease

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