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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rest — a break
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rash — a series
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bear — the animal
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pitcher — a jug

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