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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lean — thin
  3. cue — for pool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — in control
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bank — for money
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bank — for money
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. charge — a price
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bank — of a river
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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