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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: fall · spring · content · safe · bear · sharp · roll · straw

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. content — the amount
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fall — the season
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fall — to drop
  17. sharp — clever
  18. content — happy
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. roll — a cake
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. roll — a list
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spring — the season

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