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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kid — child
  6. bound — tied together
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. kid — to tease
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bound — certain
  13. craft — boats
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. roll — a list
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bear — the animal

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