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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mug — a cup
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mug — a face
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ground — the earth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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