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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. suit — clothes
  4. season — of the year
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. chair — a leader
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rash — a series
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. track — to keep track
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. drill — a practice
  15. track — a song
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — a path
  18. drill — army training
  19. suit — in cards
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. suit — to fit

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