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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. track — a path
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — to keep track
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bulb — for light
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. track — a song
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bulb — for light
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. row — a line
  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