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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spring — of water
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — in sport
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. spring — a coil
  10. root — the cause
  11. track — a song
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. root — of a plant
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bear — the animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. spring — the season

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