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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. last — to go on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. root — of a word
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. last — finally
  10. root — the cause
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mark — a trace
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. lie — to recline
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. last — final
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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