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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. capital — a city
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. capital — money
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bound — certain
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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