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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. land — to come down
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. land — ground
  11. fall — the season
  12. bear — the animal
  13. land — a country
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mate — a partner

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