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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 116 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cold — not warm
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. object — a thing
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. object — an aim
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. object — to protest
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pound — a weight
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chip — for betting
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cold — an illness
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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