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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. land — a country
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. prune — to trim
  14. land — ground
  15. sharp — clever
  16. land — to come down
  17. mate — to breed
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. net — for catching
  20. mate — a friend
  21. firm — a company
  22. mate — a partner
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bear — the animal

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