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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. field — farmland
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. object — an aim
  5. bear — the animal
  6. object — to protest
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rash — a series
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. sharp — clever
  11. field — for sport
  12. present — there
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. present — the time now
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. object — a thing
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. present — a gift
  24. field — a subject

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