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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.

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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 · straw · key · bulb · fan · pound · stem · mouse

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bear — the animal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. key — in music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pound — a weight

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