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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · charge · bear · fall · straw · march · pitcher · dip

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. 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. march — the month
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fall — the season
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. charge — in control
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bat — the animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. march — music
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. march — the month
  18. charge — a price
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — to sink
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. 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