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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bound — certain
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. game — a match
  17. spring — of water
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bound — obliged
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cap — a hat
  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