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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. club — for dancing
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. club — for golf
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fall — the season
  21. mate — to breed
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — a group

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