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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — to grow
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rest — a break
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mate — a partner

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