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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. staff — employees
  5. object — an aim
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. staff — employees
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bear — the animal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. object — to protest
  13. game — a match
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. field — a subject
  24. object — a thing

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