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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. root — the cause
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spring — of water
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lie — to recline
  10. spring — the season
  11. drill — the tool
  12. scale — size or range
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spring — a coil
  15. drill — army training
  16. root — of a word
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. root — of a plant
  21. scale — in music
  22. drill — a practice
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. suit — to fit

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