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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — the most important part
  4. date — the fruit
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. key — in music
  9. present — the time now
  10. spell — a short time
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lie — to recline
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. present — there
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. present — a gift
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mate — to breed

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