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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. object — to protest
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. object — an aim
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fall — the season
  14. object — a thing
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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