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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. saw — the tool
  4. land — to come down
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rash — a series
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. deal — to handle
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rash — hasty
  15. dip — to sink
  16. land — ground
  17. bear — the animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fine — high quality
  20. land — a country
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fine — all right
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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