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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: spring · mark · mouse · jam · pitcher · straw · calf · last

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. last — to go on
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. spring — of water
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spring — a coil
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  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