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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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