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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. land — ground
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. season — of the year
  7. land — a country
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. season — in sport
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bear — the animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. toast — bread
  18. ball — a great time
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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