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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bear — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rash — a series
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cell — in biology
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. row — a line
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spring — of water
  24. lie — an untruth

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