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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wake — a trail
  3. net — for catching
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bass — low music
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. net — after costs
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. net — in sport
  24. bass — the fish

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