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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. dip — to sink
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — a container
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. shower — to wash
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. tube — the underground
  15. ball — a great time
  16. shower — rain
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bear — to put up with

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