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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bear — the animal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bear — the animal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bound — certain
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bound — tied together
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — a song
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bore — to drill

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