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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. court — of law
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. object — a thing
  14. deal — to handle
  15. spell — magic
  16. object — to protest
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. court — for sport
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. court — of a king
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. deal — an agreement

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