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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. track — a path
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. track — to keep track
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. track — a song
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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