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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lie — to recline
  4. perch — the fish
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. rock — a stone
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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