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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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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: game · tear · spell · rush · mate · date · firm · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rush — hurry
  5. game — a match
  6. date — the fruit
  7. game — wild animals
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. tear — to rip
  12. firm — a company
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — decided
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. firm — steady
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. spell — letters
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mate — to breed

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