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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. kick — in football
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rash — hasty
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rash — a series
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bulb — for light
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fall — the season
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bulb — of a plant

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