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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spell — magic
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. face — to confront
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. scale — in music
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — letters
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. spell — a short time
  24. face — part 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