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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chest — of your body
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. chest — of your body
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ground — the earth
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rule — government
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chest — a box
  13. rule — a law
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ground — a position
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stand — on your feet

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