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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. game — a match
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — the animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. content — the amount
  9. fork — in a road
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rest — a break
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — happy
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rest — what's left

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