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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wound — an injury
  5. scale — in music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cue — a signal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. staff — employees
  11. cue — a hint
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cue — for pool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. staff — employees
  20. cold — not warm
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cold — an illness
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bear — to put up with

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