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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. scale — in music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. scale — size or range
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — for weighing

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