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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — a coil
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. present — a gift
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. present — there
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wax — to grow
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spring — of water
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. present — the time now
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. spring — the season
  23. wind — moving air
  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