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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cold — an illness
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. key — in music
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fan — to cool the air

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