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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — the time now
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rule — government
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spring — the season
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. present — a gift
  17. spring — of water
  18. key — in music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. present — there
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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