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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bear — the animal
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. date — the fruit
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. snap — to click
  22. plane — a tool
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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