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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. present — there
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. net — in sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ground — the earth
  18. net — for catching
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mine — for digging
  21. net — after costs
  22. ground — a position
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mine — belonging to me

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