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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mug — a cup
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mug — a face
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bound — tied together
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — a country
  13. race — humankind
  14. snap — to click
  15. race — the arms race
  16. land — ground
  17. bear — the animal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lean — thin
  20. mug — to rob
  21. race — a contest
  22. land — to come down
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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