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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. swing — music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kid — child
  8. fork — in a road
  9. vault — a safe
  10. swing — in golf
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. swing — to play on

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