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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. last — finally
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lean — to bend
  9. club — for dancing
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. club — a group
  15. mug — a cup
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. last — to go on
  19. mug — a face
  20. bat — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. club — for golf
  24. last — final

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