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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bound — obliged
  6. roll — a cake
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. roll — a list
  9. bound — certain
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. craft — boats
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bound — tied together
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. clip — to cut
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. clip — a video
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. clip — for paper

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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