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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — in a race
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. kick — in football
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pit — a hole
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bowl — a football final

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