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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. bear — to put up with
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. can — a tin
  8. toast — bread
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cap — of ice
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cap — a lid
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. can — to be able to
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cap — a hat
  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