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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. fall — the season
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bear — the animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pit — in a race
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lie — to recline

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