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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bank — for money
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bank — for money
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. face — to confront
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. face — to point toward

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