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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cold — not warm
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pop — soda
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pop — music
  17. cold — an illness
  18. mark — a grade

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