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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pop — music
  15. roll — a cake
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. shower — rain
  24. jam — in traffic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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