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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. suit — in cards
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cold — not warm
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. game — a match
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cold — an illness
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — to fit
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. suit — clothes
  24. perch — the fish

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