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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spell — letters
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spell — a short time
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fine — high quality
  18. face — to confront
  19. spell — magic
  20. face — to point toward
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — all right
  24. face — part of the head

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