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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. object — a thing
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. object — an aim
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. object — to protest
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. firm — decided
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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