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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. march — the month
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. march — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — the month
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — letters
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. face — to confront
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fork — in a road

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