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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fall — the season
  3. wound — an injury
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pop — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pop — soda
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pop — to visit

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