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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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. present — the time now
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. present — there
  7. band — a music group
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. field — for sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. band — a ring
  17. present — a gift
  18. field — a subject
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. field — farmland

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