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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lean — thin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wake — a trail
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lean — to bend
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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