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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. staff — employees
  5. tear — from crying
  6. press — a publisher
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. tear — from crying
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. press — to push
  11. mark — a grade
  12. toast — bread
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ball — a dance
  19. press — newspapers
  20. tear — to rip
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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