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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. net — after costs
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. net — in sport
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rest — what's left
  9. root — of a word
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. root — the cause
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ball — a dance
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. net — for catching
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rest — what's left
  20. toast — bread
  21. rest — a break
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. root — of a plant

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