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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 ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. land — ground
  6. snap — to click
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. land — to come down
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. foot — a measure
  15. land — a country
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. 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