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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. capital — a city
  4. key — for a lock
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. spring — of water
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. capital — money
  16. firm — decided
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. key — the most important part
  20. firm — a company
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. firm — steady
  23. lie — to recline
  24. key — in 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