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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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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: stick · pop · straw · bear · shower · fork

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pop — music
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pop — soda
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. shower — rain
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bear — to put up with

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