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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. net — in sport
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. content — happy
  13. net — after costs
  14. content — the amount
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. net — for catching
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. track — a song
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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