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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. present — there
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. present — the time now
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. present — a gift
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. squash — the sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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