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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. drill — the tool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. season — of the year
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. drill — a practice
  17. season — in sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wound — an injury
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mark — a grade
  23. drill — army training
  24. wound — an injury

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