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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bat — the animal
  5. band — a music group
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — the animal
  9. present — the time now
  10. snap — to click
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. band — a ring
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. present — there
  24. rush — hurry

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