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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. kid — to tease
  3. race — the arms race
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. kid — child
  12. deal — to handle
  13. track — a path
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. track — a song
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. tube — the underground
  20. race — a contest
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fine — all right
  23. race — humankind
  24. track — to keep track

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