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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.

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 · bear · wound · mate · fall · bulb · plane · sharp

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mate — a friend
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — the season
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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