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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. shower — to wash
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stand — to bear
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. roll — a list
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. roll — a cake
  21. fine — high quality
  22. shower — rain
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rush — to hurry

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