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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fine — all right
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bear — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — a lid
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. hand — in cards
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mouse — for a computer

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