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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. hand — help
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rush — a thrill

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