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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. can — a tin
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. can — a tin
  18. ball — a great time
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wake — a trail
  24. temple — a place of worship

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