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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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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. scale — in music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. scale — size or range
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. lie — to recline
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. staff — employees
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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