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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. ball — a great time
  11. current — of water
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. current — happening now
  17. chest — a box
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. current — electric
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — a division
  24. chest — of your body

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