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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.

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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wind — moving air
  14. file — a tool
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a document
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. dip — to sink
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wind — moving air
  24. dip — a sauce

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