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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lie — to recline
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. root — the cause
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. root — of a word
  16. lean — thin
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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