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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. last — finally
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. last — final
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. last — to go on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mark — a grade
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wind — moving air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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