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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. kid — child
  12. march — the month
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mate — a partner
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. march — the month
  20. season — in sport
  21. march — music
  22. season — of the year
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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