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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ground — crushed
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ground — a position
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bulb — for light
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ground — the earth
  20. shower — rain
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. shower — to wash
  23. straw — a straw man
  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