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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — of law
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bear — the animal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. court — of a king
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bass — low music
  18. court — for sport
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mouse — for a computer

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