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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. chair — a leader
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitch — completely
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. ball — a dance
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hide — animal skin

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