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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. rest — a break
  3. present — a gift
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spell — magic
  6. bear — the animal
  7. present — there
  8. spell — letters
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pit — in a race
  15. present — the time now
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lie — an untruth
  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