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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. staff — employees
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lie — to recline
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. staff — a stick
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bound — certain
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pitcher — a jug

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