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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 120 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. tube — the underground
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. tube — a container
  5. shower — to wash
  6. object — a thing
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. object — an aim
  10. dip — to sink
  11. shower — rain
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wake — a trail
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mate — a partner
  19. object — to protest
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mouse — the animal

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