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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: bass · straw · pitcher · object · bear · mouse · calf · dip

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bass — low music
  11. object — a thing
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. object — to protest
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — an aim
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bear — the animal
  24. dip — to sink

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