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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cold — not warm
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lean — thin
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. root — the cause
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. root — of a word
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fine — all right
  24. root — of a plant

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