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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bear — the animal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spell — letters
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. spell — magic
  19. bound — certain
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bound — obliged
  23. snap — to click
  24. wound — an injury

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