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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mate — a partner
  4. hand — help
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mate — a friend
  15. staff — employees
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rest — a break
  18. bank — of a river
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. staff — employees
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bear — the animal
  24. staff — a stick

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