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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lean — to bend
  5. kid — to tease
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pass — a permit
  11. kid — child
  12. club — for golf
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. court — of a king
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. court — for sport
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. lean — thin
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. club — a group
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. court — of law

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