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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. object — a thing
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. object — an aim
  14. bear — the animal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. object — to protest
  17. scale — size or range
  18. snap — to click
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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