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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. can — a tin
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. can — to be able to
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. present — the time now
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. game — a match
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. object — an aim
  20. can — a tin
  21. game — wild animals
  22. dip — to sink
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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