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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. prune — the fruit
  3. tube — a container
  4. mug — a face
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rush — hurry
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mug — a cup
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wind — moving air
  23. dip — to dunk
  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