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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. march — the month
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. saw — the tool
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. march — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. march — the month
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. press — newspapers
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. press — to push

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