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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pop — music
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. can — a tin
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — to visit
  15. can — to be able to
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pop — soda
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ground — the earth
  23. can — a tin
  24. ground — a position

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