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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pop — soda
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pop — to visit
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. deal — to handle
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wind — moving air

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