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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rock — a stone
  7. kid — child
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rock — music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rock — to move gently

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