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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. drill — the tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ground — a position
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitch — completely
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ground — crushed
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. can — a tin

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