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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mate — to breed
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mate — a partner
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. sharp — clever

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