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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. last — to go on
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. last — final
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pop — to visit
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pop — soda
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wind — moving air
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pop — music

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