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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. spring — of water
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spring — the season
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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