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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. present — a gift
  3. deal — to handle
  4. suit — in cards
  5. scale — in music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. last — to go on
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. present — there
  11. ball — a great time
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. present — the time now
  18. suit — to fit
  19. scale — size or range
  20. last — finally
  21. tear — from crying
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. last — final

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