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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lean — thin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. snap — to click
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chip — for betting
  16. race — a contest
  17. wind — moving air
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lean — to bend
  24. chip — to eat

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