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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. spring — of water
  10. cell — in biology
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cell — a phone
  16. spring — the season
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mate — a friend
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. tear — to rip
  24. spring — a coil

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