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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. net — for catching
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. suit — in cards
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. net — after costs
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. suit — to fit
  16. race — humankind
  17. net — in sport
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. snap — to click
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — the animal

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