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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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. mug — a face
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mug — a cup
  6. race — a contest
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bear — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. race — humankind
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. perch — the fish
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mate — a partner
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mug — to rob
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. race — the arms race
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mate — a friend

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