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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lie — to recline
  3. track — a path
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rest — a break
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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