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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pop — soda
  5. can — a tin
  6. ground — a position
  7. swing — music
  8. cap — a lid
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. lie — to recline
  13. swing — to play on
  14. roll — a list
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pop — music
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pop — to visit
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ground — the earth

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