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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — a committee
  7. rash — hasty
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. board — to get on
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. kid — child
  15. bear — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fall — to drop
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fall — the season
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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