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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cue — for pool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cue — a hint
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cue — a signal

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