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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rock — music
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. present — a gift
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. present — there
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. present — the time now
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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