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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mug — a face
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bore — to drill
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mug — to rob
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. firm — steady
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. firm — decided
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. firm — a company
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bore — to tire

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