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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rest — a break
  3. bound — tied together
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bound — certain
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bear — the animal
  11. game — a match
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. shower — rain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. date — the fruit
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. shower — to wash
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. nail — for a hammer

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