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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stand — to bear
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mug — to rob
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. wake — a trail
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. sharp — clever
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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