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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. net — in sport
  5. mine — for digging
  6. season — in sport
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. net — after costs
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lean — thin
  18. season — of the year
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. tear — to rip

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