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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. clip — a video
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fall — the season
  19. bear — the animal
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. clip — for paper
  24. fall — to drop

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