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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. ground — crushed
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cap — a lid
  15. kick — in football
  16. deal — to handle
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ground — a position
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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