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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bass — the fish
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bore — to drill

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