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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. craft — boats
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. can — to be able to
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. can — a tin
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mark — a grade
  14. can — a tin
  15. craft — a skill
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rock — music
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mark — a trace
  24. tube — a container

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