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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: net · season · bear · spell · straw · object · suit · row

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. season — of the year
  3. net — in sport
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spell — a short time
  7. suit — to fit
  8. spell — letters
  9. net — after costs
  10. suit — in cards
  11. object — a thing
  12. bear — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. net — for catching
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. spell — magic
  20. season — in sport
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. object — to protest
  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