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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mine — for digging

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