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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. sharp — clever
  3. tear — from crying
  4. current — of water
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. suit — in cards
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — electric
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tear — to rip
  18. suit — clothes
  19. tear — from crying
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. bear — to put up with
  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