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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. object — an aim
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rash — a series
  12. object — a thing
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rush — hurry
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. dip — to sink
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. object — to protest
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — a thrill

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