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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. object — to protest
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bark — to shout
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lean — thin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. object — an aim
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — a thing
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rash — a series
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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