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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. staff — employees
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. net — for catching
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wind — moving air
  11. net — in sport
  12. present — there
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — a series
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rush — hurry
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. present — a gift
  22. net — after costs
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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