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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — final
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mate — to breed
  10. scale — in music
  11. field — farmland
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. last — finally
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. last — to go on
  24. hide — animal skin

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