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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. net — for catching
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. can — to be able to
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. can — a tin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. net — in sport
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. can — a tin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. net — after costs
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. calf — a young animal

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