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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. spell — letters
  3. bear — the animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. band — a ring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. spell — magic
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. face — to confront
  17. lie — to recline
  18. face — part of the head
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. band — a music group
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lie — an untruth

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