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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. spring — of water
  3. content — the amount
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. present — there
  11. content — happy
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bear — the animal
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. present — the time now
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. date — the fruit
  20. present — a gift
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mouse — for a computer

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