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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. suit — to fit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. clip — to cut
  6. spell — letters
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ground — the earth
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. press — to push
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. spell — magic
  17. clip — a video
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ground — a position
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. suit — in cards
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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