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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. ground — a position
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. field — farmland
  5. mark — a trace
  6. field — for sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lean — thin
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lean — to bend
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. field — a subject
  24. safe — out of danger

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