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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bear — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pound — a weight
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bear — to put up with

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