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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — certain
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bear — the animal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tear — from crying
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mark — a trace
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tear — from crying

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