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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.

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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bear — the animal
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. race — a contest
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rest — a break
  7. ground — a position
  8. race — the arms race
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. season — in sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. ground — the earth
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. staff — a stick
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. race — humankind
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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