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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cell — a phone
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cell — in biology
  12. spell — magic
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. content — the amount
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. season — in sport
  17. content — happy
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. season — of the year

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