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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. ball — a great time
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. kid — to tease
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ball — a dance
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. kid — child
  21. snap — to click
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. last — final

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