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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 124 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rule — government
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. fine — all right
  11. key — in music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rule — a law
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. key — for a lock
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. key — the most important part

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