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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. can — to be able to
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. file — a tool
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. file — a line of people
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. file — a document
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. tube — a container
  20. kick — in football
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. tube — the underground
  24. foot — the bottom

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