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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 124 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rest — a break
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bulb — for light
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. drill — a practice
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. drill — army training
  20. snap — to click
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. drill — the tool
  24. date — the fruit

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