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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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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 · bore · straw · kid · fine · stick · firm · fall

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. firm — decided
  8. kid — child
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fall — the season
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. firm — a company
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. firm — steady
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bore — gave birth

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