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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mug — a cup
  5. capital — a city
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. track — a song
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. track — a path
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spell — magic
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. spell — letters
  20. track — to keep track
  21. capital — money
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stand — to bear

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