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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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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: stand · straw · bay · bear · kick · key · fall · pitcher

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fall — the season
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. kick — in football
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. key — in music
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — to bear
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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