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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: saw · kid · bear · mouse · stock · bay · wake · spell

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spell — letters
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — magic
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. kid — to tease
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. kid — child
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bear — the animal

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