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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rest — a break
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. date — the fruit
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rest — what's left
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ball — a great time
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. ball — a dance
  24. straw — dry grass

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