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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. race — humankind
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bank — of a river
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. race — a contest
  13. present — the time now
  14. chip — to eat
  15. present — a gift
  16. bank — for money
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. chip — for betting
  19. present — there
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. race — the arms race
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bank — for money

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