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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wind — moving air
  4. current — happening now
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bark — to shout
  7. march — the month
  8. bear — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — the month
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. march — music
  23. current — of water
  24. bear — the animal

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