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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ground — the earth
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pitch — completely
  13. fine — all right
  14. chest — a box
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. shower — rain
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. ground — a position

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