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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. present — there
  8. board — to get on
  9. face — to confront
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mine — for digging
  12. present — a gift
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bass — the fish
  17. present — the time now
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. board — a committee
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. face — part of the head
  22. vault — a safe
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. board — a flat piece

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