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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bear — the animal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mug — a cup
  6. snap — to click
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. staff — employees
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mug — a face
  12. wind — moving air
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. staff — employees
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tube — a container
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bound — obliged

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