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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. kick — in football
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rest — a break
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. firm — decided
  8. row — a line
  9. rest — what's left
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. mate — a friend
  13. race — humankind
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. firm — a company
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. firm — steady
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mate — to breed
  24. racket — for tennis

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