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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lie — to recline
  10. field — for sport
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. field — a subject
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bear — the animal
  17. field — farmland
  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