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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · straw · key · hand · mouse · prune · calf · mine

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. hand — in cards
  6. key — for a lock
  7. prune — to trim
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. hand — help
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. key — in music
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. prune — to trim

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