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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lean — thin
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pass — a permit
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bore — to drill
  9. row — to paddle
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mate — to breed
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fall — to drop
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fall — the season
  22. mate — a partner
  23. row — a line
  24. lean — to bend

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