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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wind — moving air
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pass — a permit
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. sharp — exactly

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