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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. net — in sport
  3. spring — a coil
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. row — a line
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. net — for catching
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rush — hurry
  14. net — after costs
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spring — of water
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. spring — the season

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