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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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. safe — out of danger
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. present — there
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. clip — to cut
  10. press — newspapers
  11. snap — to click
  12. suit — to fit
  13. clip — for paper
  14. present — the time now
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. suit — clothes
  19. present — a gift
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. suit — in cards
  24. clip — a video

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