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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kick — in football
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pit — a hole
  8. current — of water
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mug — a cup
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. root — of a word
  15. current — happening now
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pit — in a race
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. prune — to trim
  24. current — electric

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