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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. suit — to fit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. scale — in music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bat — the animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. suit — in cards
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. hand — help

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