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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. last — finally
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. last — to go on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. last — final
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. snap — to click

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