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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. root — of a word
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — a short time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — letters
  19. root — of a plant
  20. spell — magic
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — the cause
  24. cold — not warm

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