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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. capital — money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. club — for golf
  7. wax — to grow
  8. can — to be able to
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. club — a group
  15. foot — a measure
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to click
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. can — a tin
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. capital — a city
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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