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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. suit — in cards
  3. toast — bread
  4. kid — to tease
  5. suit — to fit
  6. kid — child
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bear — the animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wind — moving air
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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