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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. face — to confront
  4. stock — shares
  5. mug — a face
  6. season — in sport
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stock — goods
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kid — child
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bear — the animal
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. season — of the year

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