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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rash — a series
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. key — in music
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. hand — in cards
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hand — help
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bulb — for light
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rash — hasty
  24. kid — child

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