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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. last — to go on
  8. lean — to bend
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mark — a grade
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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