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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. scale — in music
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wound — an injury
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. scale — size or range
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. board — to get on
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lean — to bend
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wound — an injury
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bear — the animal
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. board — a committee

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