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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. season — of the year
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. face — to point toward
  9. dip — to sink
  10. season — in sport
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mate — a friend
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. face — to confront
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mate — to breed
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mate — a partner
  24. dip — to dunk

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