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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. craft — boats
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hand — help
  14. rock — music
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. tube — a container
  23. rule — a law
  24. rock — to move gently

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