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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. perch — the fish
  4. last — finally
  5. mate — a friend
  6. last — final
  7. mate — to breed
  8. key — for a lock
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wind — moving air
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. key — in music
  19. sharp — clever
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. last — to go on

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