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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spring — a coil
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rock — music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. land — ground
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rock — a stone
  11. land — to come down
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. spring — of water
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spring — the season
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. key — for a lock
  22. land — a country
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lie — to recline

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