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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bear — the animal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. spell — magic
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. file — a line of people
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. file — a tool
  10. spell — letters
  11. bound — tied together
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — a short time
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bound — certain
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. can — a tin
  24. file — a document

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