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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bank — for money
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. snap — to click
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bear — the animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. march — the month
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bank — for money
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ball — a dance
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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