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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. face — to point toward
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. face — to confront
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — a trail
  22. prune — to trim
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bear — to put up with

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