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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. squash — to crush
  4. staff — a stick
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. staff — employees
  13. wax — to grow
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pitch — completely
  23. staff — employees
  24. mate — to breed

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