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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rash — hasty
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. vault — a safe
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. dip — to sink
  21. suit — in cards
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rash — a series

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