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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mine — for digging
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mark — a grade
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. kid — to tease
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. season — in sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. kid — child
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. season — of the year
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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