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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rest — what's left
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. present — the time now
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rush — hurry
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. present — there
  12. rest — a break
  13. wound — an injury
  14. track — a song
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. track — a path
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — a gift
  24. leaves — to go away

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