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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. object — to protest
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rule — a law
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. toast — bread
  8. object — an aim
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rule — government
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. object — a thing
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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