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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fall — the season
  18. rock — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. prune — to trim

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