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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lean — to bend
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. game — a match
  9. wind — moving air
  10. object — an aim
  11. game — wild animals
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. band — a music group
  14. object — to protest
  15. wind — moving air
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. object — a thing
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. temple — a place of worship

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