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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. degree — an amount
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. land — to come down
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. land — ground
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. land — a country
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — temperature
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. can — a tin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wind — moving air
  24. degree — from a university

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