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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. dip — to sink
  3. shower — rain
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cold — an illness
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. shower — to wash
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. toast — bread
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. ground — the earth
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. ground — a position
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cold — not warm

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