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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. foot — a measure
  4. field — a subject
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cap — of ice
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. prune — to trim
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cap — a lid
  23. deal — to handle
  24. foot — the bottom

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