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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hand — help
  4. lie — to recline
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — a series
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rash — on the skin

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