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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fall — the season
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lie — to recline

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