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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. spell — letters
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spell — magic
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bound — obliged
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bound — certain

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