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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. season — of the year
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. row — a line
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pass — a permit
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. season — in sport

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