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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ball — a great time
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. land — a country
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. suit — to fit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. suit — clothes
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. land — to come down
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. land — ground
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. snap — to click
  24. date — the fruit

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