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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 124 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — a container
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bear — the animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bank — for money
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bank — for money
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rest — what's left

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