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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — humankind
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kid — child
  18. race — a contest
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kid — to tease
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mouse — the animal

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