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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. cell — a phone
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. row — a line
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — of the year
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. season — in sport
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. lie — to recline
  24. season — to add flavour

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