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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rock — music
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. swing — in golf
  17. can — a tin
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pass — a permit
  24. swing — 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