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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fine — all right
  19. deal — to handle
  20. can — a tin
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — a trail

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