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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. ground — the earth
  5. field — a subject
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. field — farmland
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. suit — to fit
  12. ground — crushed
  13. spell — magic
  14. bat — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. suit — clothes
  17. field — for sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ground — a position
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spell — letters
  23. suit — in cards
  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