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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: straw · pass · sharp · wave · bear · rush · fall · firm

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fall — the season
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. firm — decided
  10. bear — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. firm — a company
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bear — the animal

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