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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. sharp — clever
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. band — a music group
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. object — to protest
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. object — a thing
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. snap — to click
  19. band — a ring
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. saw — the tool
  24. object — an aim

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