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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bear — the animal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stand — to bear
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bear — the animal
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. object — an aim
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. scale — in music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. rush — hurry

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