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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spell — magic
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fall — the season
  13. mate — a friend
  14. net — for catching
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. deal — to handle
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. net — after costs
  23. mate — a partner
  24. face — to point toward

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