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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. net — for catching
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. march — music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rule — government
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. march — the month
  15. net — after costs
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. season — in sport
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. march — the month
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. rule — a law
  24. straw — a straw man

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