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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rash — a series
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bear — the animal
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rock — music
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rash — hasty

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