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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cap — of ice
  8. board — to get on
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. board — a committee
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rush — hurry
  16. field — farmland
  17. fine — all right
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. field — a subject
  22. mate — to breed
  23. field — for sport
  24. cap — a lid

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