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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 124 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. row — a line
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bound — tied together
  7. last — to go on
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. last — finally
  12. bound — obliged
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bound — certain
  17. bear — the animal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. last — final
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. sharp — clever
  24. row — a quarrel

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