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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. staff — employees
  3. bat — the animal
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. staff — a stick
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. spring — of water
  19. staff — employees
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spring — the season
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pitcher — a jug

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