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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. key — the most important part
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ground — the earth
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. branch — a division
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ground — a position
  19. key — in music
  20. ground — crushed
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. foot — a measure
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. branch — of a bank

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