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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — ground
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. net — after costs
  6. staff — employees
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. object — an aim
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. land — to come down
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. object — to protest
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wake — a trail
  17. net — in sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. object — a thing
  20. land — a country
  21. net — for catching
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bear — 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