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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. row — a line
  13. chest — of your body
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bear — the animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. chest — a box
  19. field — for sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lie — to recline
  24. field — farmland

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