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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bear — the animal
  3. key — in music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mate — a friend
  9. key — for a lock
  10. band — a ring
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mate — to breed
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. saw — the tool
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. key — the most important part
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cap — a hat
  23. game — a match
  24. mate — a partner

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