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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 124 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mate — a partner
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. file — a line of people
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. kid — to tease
  13. spell — magic
  14. mate — to breed
  15. spell — a short time
  16. file — a document
  17. rule — a law
  18. kid — child
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rule — government
  22. spell — letters
  23. file — a tool
  24. prune — to trim

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