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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. bat — the animal
  3. key — in music
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. key — for a lock
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cell — a phone
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pound — a weight
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pit — in a race
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pound — for dogs
  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