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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. track — a song
  10. ball — a great time
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. tear — to rip

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