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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rush — hurry
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. capital — a city
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. capital — money
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. suit — in cards

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