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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. bulb — for light
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bear — the animal
  8. current — electric
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rest — a break
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. current — of water
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. current — happening now
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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