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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lean — thin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lean — to bend
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — a position
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ground — crushed
  24. jam — in traffic

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