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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. race — humankind
  5. spell — a short time
  6. race — the arms race
  7. spell — magic
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. spell — letters
  13. race — a contest
  14. charge — in control
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. board — a committee
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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