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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. club — a group
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cap — a hat
  10. kid — child
  11. band — a music group
  12. cap — a lid
  13. kid — to tease
  14. club — for golf
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. snap — to click
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cap — of ice
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. band — a ring
  22. club — for dancing
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. leaves — to go away

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