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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bear — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wake — a trail
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pop — music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pop — soda
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chair — a leader
  24. can — to be able to

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