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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. land — to come down
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. drill — the tool
  8. land — ground
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wound — an injury
  15. land — a country
  16. deal — to handle
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. drill — army training
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — a practice
  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