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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cell — in biology
  5. root — the cause
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bear — the animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. craft — boats
  17. cold — not warm
  18. root — of a plant
  19. can — to be able to
  20. craft — a skill
  21. can — a tin
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cell — in a prison

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