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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. field — a subject
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. field — for sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. field — farmland
  23. bear — to put up with
  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