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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. spell — magic
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. hand — help
  6. ground — a position
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spell — letters
  15. lie — to recline
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ground — crushed
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bear — the animal
  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