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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mate — to breed
  7. board — a committee
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mate — a partner
  10. land — a country
  11. charge — in control
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fork — in a road
  18. land — to come down
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mate — a friend
  21. land — ground
  22. board — to get on
  23. mug — a face
  24. charge — a price

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