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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · staff · bear · court · leaves · bulb · arm · jam

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. staff — employees
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. staff — a stick
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. court — of law
  24. bulb — for light

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