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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mate — to breed
  9. last — finally
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — final
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. last — to go on
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rest — what's left
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lean — thin
  20. mate — a partner
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rest — a break
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rest — what's left

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