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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 120 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. kid — child
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rock — music
  18. pitcher — a jug

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