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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spell — letters
  4. swing — in golf
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. spell — a short time
  10. row — a line
  11. swing — music
  12. rock — music
  13. spell — magic
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. kick — in football
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — to play on

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