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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. march — the month
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. object — an aim
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. march — music
  10. spring — the season
  11. spell — magic
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. cue — a hint
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spell — letters
  19. spring — of water
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cue — a signal
  22. march — the month
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spring — a coil

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