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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bear — the animal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rash — a series
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — to recline
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. march — music

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