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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cap — a hat
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cap — of ice
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rash — a series
  10. race — the arms race
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. race — humankind
  15. row — a line
  16. foot — a measure
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. race — a contest
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. clip — a video
  24. foot — the bottom

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