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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chest — of your body
  7. key — in music
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. chest — a box
  10. last — final
  11. key — the most important part
  12. kid — child
  13. key — for a lock
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. last — to go on
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. chest — of your body
  20. last — finally
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. kid — to tease

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