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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mug — a face
  4. fork — in a road
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — magic
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mark — a trace
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. spell — letters
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wave — of the sea

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