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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.

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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. chip — to eat
  4. firm — decided
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. firm — steady
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — of water
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. firm — a company
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. squash — to crush
  22. spring — the season
  23. wake — a trail
  24. plane — an aircraft

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