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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rock — a stone
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. ground — a position
  6. can — a tin
  7. rash — a series
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rock — music
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. can — a tin
  18. file — a tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rash — hasty

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