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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. season — of the year
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. shower — to wash
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. shower — rain
  19. season — in sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cue — a signal

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