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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — the most important part
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. key — in music
  14. root — of a word
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. root — the cause
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — of a plant
  24. straw — dry grass

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