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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. track — a song
  6. bound — certain
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. ball — a dance
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. track — a path
  24. ball — a great time

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