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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 116 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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. capital — a city
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lie — to recline
  16. snap — to click
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. capital — money
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bear — to put up with

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