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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · rash · bay · toast · straw · land

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. land — ground
  3. toast — bread
  4. rash — a series
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. land — to come down
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. land — a country
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. rash — hasty

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