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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. spring — of water
  3. mate — a partner
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. can — to be able to
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. can — a tin
  8. pass — a permit
  9. spring — a coil
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mate — a friend
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. spring — the season
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. can — a tin
  22. dip — to sink
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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