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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cold — not warm
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. march — music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rest — what's left
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — a break
  18. cold — an illness
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. march — the month
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. march — the month
  24. bear — to put up with

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