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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. fall — to drop
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tube — a container
  5. perch — the fish
  6. board — to get on
  7. content — happy
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fall — to drop
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. board — a committee
  13. content — the amount
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fall — the season
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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