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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mug — a cup
  3. kick — in football
  4. bark — to shout
  5. kid — child
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. capital — a city
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. race — humankind
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. race — a contest
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. capital — money
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mug — a face
  21. bear — the animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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