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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mug — to rob
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. content — the amount
  13. chip — for betting
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mug — a face
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mug — a cup
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. content — happy
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lie — to recline

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