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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rest — what's left
  6. row — a line
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rest — a break
  10. bank — for money
  11. track — a path
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. row — to paddle
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bank — for money
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. can — a tin
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. track — a song
  21. bear — the animal
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rest — what's left
  24. can — a tin

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