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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lean — thin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fall — the season
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. game — a match
  16. rash — a series
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fall — to drop

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