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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. clip — for paper
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. spell — a short time
  12. clip — a video
  13. spell — magic
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. scale — size or range
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lie — to recline
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — letters
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — in music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bat — 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