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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. clip — for paper
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. clip — to cut
  5. hand — in cards
  6. clip — a video
  7. face — part of the head
  8. shower — rain
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cell — in biology
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cell — a phone
  13. suit — in cards
  14. shower — to wash
  15. suit — to fit
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  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