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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bear — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — humankind
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lean — thin
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — a short time
  16. face — part of the head
  17. spell — magic
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spell — letters
  23. staff — employees
  24. face — to confront

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