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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. net — for catching
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. face — to confront
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rash — a series
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. lie — to recline
  11. face — part of the head
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. face — to point toward
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. root — of a word
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rash — hasty

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