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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 124 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — certain
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rash — a series
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fork — in a road

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