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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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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. club — for golf
  7. shower — rain
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. shower — to wash
  17. can — a tin
  18. kick — in football
  19. can — to be able to
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. club — for dancing
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. club — a group
  24. toast — bread

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