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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: mate · prune · hand · bear · wound · stand · racket · straw

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bear — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. hand — in cards
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — help
  20. wound — an injury
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wound — an injury
  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