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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — to tire
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. net — in sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spring — of water
  10. bear — the animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. spring — the season
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. net — after costs
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stand — to bear

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