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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. season — in sport
  3. lean — thin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. march — the month
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. season — of the year
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. march — music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. march — the month
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — for light

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