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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mug — a cup
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mug — a face
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mug — to rob
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. track — a song

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