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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cold — not warm
  8. club — a group
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. cold — an illness

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