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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. tube — the underground
  8. capital — a city
  9. tube — a container
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. capital — money
  13. game — a match
  14. race — the arms race
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. game — wild animals
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bulb — for light

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