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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cue — for pool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. season — of the year
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wound — an injury

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