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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. firm — a company
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bear — the animal
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. snap — to click
  7. staff — a stick
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. lean — thin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. plane — a tool
  18. march — the month
  19. firm — steady
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. firm — decided
  24. scale — in music

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