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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bear — the animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lie — to recline
  5. snap — to click
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. face — to confront
  12. lean — thin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spring — the season
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spring — a coil
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spring — of water

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