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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. spell — magic
  3. land — a country
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bound — certain
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. land — to come down
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. firm — steady
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. land — ground
  15. kick — in football
  16. firm — decided
  17. wind — moving air
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bear — the animal
  21. date — the fruit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. spell — letters

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