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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ball — a great time
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pitch — completely
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. can — a tin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ball — a dance

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