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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bear — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. lie — to recline

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