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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. object — to protest
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. spring — of water
  18. spell — magic
  19. object — a thing
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. spell — letters
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. straw — dry grass

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