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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. tear — from crying
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ball — a dance
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tear — from crying
  11. craft — boats
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. snap — to click
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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