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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pit — in a race
  3. scale — size or range
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cell — in biology
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. face — to confront
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cell — a phone
  13. face — part of the head
  14. file — a document
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. face — to point toward
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. file — a tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pit — a hole

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