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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · rush · suit · bear · cell · kid

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cell — a phone
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cell — in biology
  6. suit — in cards
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rush — hurry
  16. kid — child
  17. bear — the animal
  18. suit — to fit

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