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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stock — shares
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stock — goods
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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