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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. capital — money
  3. rule — a law
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. suit — clothes
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rush — hurry
  13. capital — a city
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rule — government
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cell — a phone
  20. suit — to fit
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rule — to rule out

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