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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — help
  3. mine — for digging
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hand — in cards
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spring — the season
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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