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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 124 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of law
  6. lean — thin
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. spring — of water
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. can — a tin
  17. court — for sport
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. hand — help
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. court — of a king
  24. bear — the animal

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