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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fall — the season
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cold — not warm
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cold — an illness
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fall — to drop
  15. suit — in cards
  16. mug — a face
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mug — to rob
  19. band — a music group
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mate — a friend
  24. suit — clothes

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