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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pop — music
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pop — to visit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pop — soda
  14. pitch — completely
  15. kick — in football
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — the animal

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