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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bound — certain
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cold — an illness
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cold — not warm
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. racket — for tennis

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