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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. race — humankind
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. race — the arms race
  8. scale — size or range
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hand — help
  14. bear — the animal
  15. scale — in music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. race — a contest
  18. hand — in cards
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. net — for catching
  23. fall — the season
  24. hand — part of the body

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