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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. tube — the underground
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. land — ground
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. land — a country
  21. swing — music
  22. land — to come down
  23. bear — the animal
  24. dip — a sauce

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