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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 124 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bass — low music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. kick — in football
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rock — music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hand — help
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lie — to recline
  23. game — a match
  24. kick — a thrill

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