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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 124 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. face — part of the head
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. stock — shares
  10. wound — an injury
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bound — tied together
  15. object — to protest
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mate — a partner
  21. face — to confront
  22. stock — goods
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bound — certain

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