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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. season — of the year
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. season — in sport
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bear — the animal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. chest — a box
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fall — the season

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