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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: bear · mate · saw · tear · chip · wake · mouse · key

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tear — from crying
  23. key — in music
  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