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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ground — the earth
  3. present — the time now
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. present — there
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ground — crushed
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. ground — a position
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mine — for digging

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