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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. present — a gift
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. staff — employees
  6. present — there
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. swing — music
  11. lie — to recline
  12. present — the time now
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — a match
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lie — an untruth

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