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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. field — for sport
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cell — a phone
  11. charge — in control
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. field — farmland
  14. charge — a price
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cell — in biology
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. field — a subject
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mug — a face
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mug — a cup

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