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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. club — for golf
  5. staff — a stick
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. staff — employees
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rock — music
  11. band — a music group
  12. staff — employees
  13. band — a ring
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. kick — in football
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. club — a group
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. club — for dancing

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