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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bear — the animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wake — a trail
  7. march — the month
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. firm — steady
  12. cap — a lid
  13. firm — a company
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. march — music
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. straw — a straw man

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