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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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Word bank
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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. ball — a dance
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. present — there
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. present — a gift
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ball — a great time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. present — the time now
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fall — the season
  24. hide — to keep secret

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