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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lean — to bend
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pit — in a race
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — certain
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lean — thin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bound — tied together
  19. spell — a short time
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. spell — letters
  24. bass — low music

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