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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. firm — steady
  3. bear — the animal
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. net — after costs
  14. spring — the season
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. kid — child
  17. bore — to tire
  18. firm — a company
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. net — for catching
  23. firm — decided
  24. bore — to drill

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