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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 116 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: bear · mate · row · pitcher · rule · fan · ground · straw

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. row — a line
  7. ground — the earth
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ground — a position
  14. rule — government
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rule — a law
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a friend
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fan — a supporter

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