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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bear — the animal
  3. present — the time now
  4. track — a song
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. present — there
  8. track — a path
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. court — of law
  14. squash — to crush
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bear — the animal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. court — of a king
  21. present — a gift
  22. dip — to sink
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. court — for sport

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