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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. net — after costs
  5. present — a gift
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. net — in sport
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — there
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. can — a tin
  15. band — a music group
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — for catching
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bear — the animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. can — to be able to

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