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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rock — a stone
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. last — to go on
  9. pit — in a race
  10. can — a tin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — final
  21. spring — of water
  22. last — finally
  23. rock — music
  24. straw — dry grass

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