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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stock — shares
  8. pit — a hole
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. content — happy
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. last — finally
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. last — to go on
  17. face — to point toward
  18. content — the amount
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stock — goods
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. last — final

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