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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. net — for catching
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a great time
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lie — to recline
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. net — after costs
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. net — in sport
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rush — to hurry

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