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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lean — thin
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. lean — to bend
  10. degree — an amount
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. row — a line
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bore — to drill
  23. degree — temperature
  24. row — a quarrel

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