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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bank — for money
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cold — not warm
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bank — of a river
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. capital — money
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. capital — a city
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bank — for money
  17. cold — an illness
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hand — in cards
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. hand — help
  23. bear — the animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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