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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. charge — in control
  6. rash — a series
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. charge — a price
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. net — in sport
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — to crush
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wind — moving air
  21. net — for catching
  22. date — the fruit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. net — after costs

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