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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. file — a document
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. root — of a word
  7. club — a group
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. file — a tool
  21. club — for dancing
  22. lie — to recline
  23. club — for golf
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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