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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. march — the month
  3. dip — to sink
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. track — to keep track
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. track — a song
  16. mine — for digging
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. march — the month
  19. bear — the animal
  20. march — music
  21. track — a path
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. straw — a straw man

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