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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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. bear — to put up with
  4. bore — to tire
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. snap — to click
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rash — a series
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. can — a tin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rash — hasty
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. nail — for a hammer

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