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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. field — farmland
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. field — for sport
  7. shower — rain
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. field — a subject
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rest — a break
  24. temple — side of the head

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