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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mark — a grade
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. present — there
  14. fine — all right
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bound — certain
  19. bat — the animal
  20. present — the time now
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. present — a gift
  24. fine — high quality

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