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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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468
Word bank
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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pit — in a race
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. board — to get on
  19. snap — to click
  20. pit — a hole
  21. board — a committee
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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