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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. court — of a king
  7. mark — a grade
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mark — a trace
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. court — for sport
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. court — of law
  18. fork — to eat with

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