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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — a country
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mark — a grade
  10. land — to come down
  11. season — in sport
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. chair — a leader
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. land — ground
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fall — the season
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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