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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. key — the most important part
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rest — a break
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. key — in music
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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