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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. pop — music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bear — the animal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pop — to visit
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pop — soda
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bear — the animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. racket — for tennis

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