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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. dip — to sink
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. race — a contest
  8. rest — what's left
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. race — the arms race
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — in football
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rest — a break
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — what's left
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. race — humankind
  24. straw — a straw man

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