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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. track — a path
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hand — in cards
  7. track — a song
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kid — to tease
  11. squash — the sport
  12. track — to keep track
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mate — a partner
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. kid — child
  19. mate — a friend
  20. squash — to crush
  21. drill — a practice
  22. hand — help
  23. drill — army training
  24. lie — an untruth

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