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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — the animal
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rest — a break
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — letters
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rest — what's left
  13. board — to get on
  14. spring — the season
  15. board — a committee
  16. plane — a tool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fall — the season
  20. spell — magic
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spring — of water
  24. plane — an aircraft

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