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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. charge — electricity
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bear — the animal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fall — the season
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. object — an aim
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. row — a line
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — in control
  21. row — to paddle
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. charge — a price
  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