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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bore — to tire
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. row — a line
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lean — thin
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bore — to drill

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