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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fine — all right
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. band — a ring
  10. deal — to handle
  11. band — a music group
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. chest — a box
  14. ball — a great time
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fall — the season
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. deal — a big deal

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