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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. deal — to handle
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. clip — a video
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. clip — to cut
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mine — for digging

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