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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. charge — in control
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bear — the animal
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mate — a friend
  8. shower — to wash
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. shower — rain
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. snap — to click
  13. vault — a safe
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bear — the animal
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mate — to breed
  20. charge — a price
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. perch — the fish
  24. charge — electricity

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