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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. present — the time now
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — army training
  10. clip — to cut
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. present — there
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. present — a gift
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. deal — to handle

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