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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. suit — clothes
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bear — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cap — of ice
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chest — of your body
  16. suit — in cards
  17. prune — to trim
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chest — a box
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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