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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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 — animal skin
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cue — a hint
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — for pool
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. can — to be able to
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. can — a tin
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. cue — a signal
  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