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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. land — a country
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. land — to come down
  7. tube — a container
  8. wind — moving air
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. land — ground
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — the underground
  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