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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. row — a line
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. current — of water
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wake — a trail
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — hurry
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. toast — bread
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. row — to paddle
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. hide — to keep secret

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