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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. present — there
  9. degree — temperature
  10. track — a path
  11. degree — an amount
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. track — to keep track
  17. present — a gift
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. track — a song
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. degree — from a university
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lash — to lash out

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