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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. prune — to trim
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. squash — the sport
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rock — music
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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