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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fine — high quality
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. squash — to crush
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rush — hurry
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fine — all right

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