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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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. deal — an agreement
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fall — to drop
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fall — the season
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. suit — to fit
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. suit — clothes
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. bear — the animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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