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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pop — music
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pop — soda
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mark — a grade
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. snap — to click
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rest — a break
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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