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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. drill — army training
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. scale — in music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. face — to confront
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bat — the animal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. drill — a practice
  16. suit — clothes
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. face — part of the head
  20. capital — a city
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bear — the animal
  23. suit — to fit
  24. capital — money

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