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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 116 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. snap — to click
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rule — a law
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mark — a trace
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rash — hasty
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rule — government
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rash — a series
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rule — to rule 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