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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ground — a position
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bear — the animal
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bear — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. lie — to recline
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. root — the cause
  19. mate — to breed
  20. root — of a plant
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — to dunk

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