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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. net — after costs
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. present — a gift
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. present — there
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. present — the time now
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bound — certain

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