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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. foot — a measure
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. hand — help
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. key — in music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. key — for a lock
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. key — the most important part

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