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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pop — soda
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pop — music
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bear — the animal
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chest — a box
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  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