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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kid — child
  5. lean — thin
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pop — soda
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pop — music
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rock — music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bear — the animal

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