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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bass — low music
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. scale — in music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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