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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 · rash · bay · toast · straw · land · ground · mate

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rash — a series
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rash — hasty
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. land — to come down
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. land — a country
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. toast — bread
  23. land — ground
  24. rash — on the skin

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