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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pop — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. firm — decided
  6. present — the time now
  7. pop — soda
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. firm — a company
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. kid — child
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. firm — steady
  23. present — a gift
  24. mate — to breed

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