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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ground — a position
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. hand — help
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. bowl — a football final

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