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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. can — a tin
  5. kid — to tease
  6. squash — to crush
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pop — soda
  9. can — a tin
  10. pop — to visit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pop — music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. toast — bread
  22. kid — child
  23. can — to be able to
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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