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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ball — a dance
  7. snap — to click
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. tube — a container
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ground — crushed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — of the year
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. season — in sport
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bear — to put up with

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