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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spring — the season
  13. press — to push
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. row — to paddle
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. press — a publisher
  21. spring — a coil
  22. row — a line
  23. press — newspapers
  24. spring — of water

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