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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pitch — completely
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. scale — in music
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. staff — employees
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lie — an untruth

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