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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. fine — all right
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lie — to recline
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. foot — the bottom

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