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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rash — a series
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bass — low music
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. nail — for a hammer

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