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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ground — the earth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bear — the animal
  5. roll — a list
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ground — a position
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. ground — crushed
  13. scale — in music
  14. roll — a cake
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bear — the animal
  18. scale — for weighing

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