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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mark — a grade
  4. spring — a coil
  5. can — to be able to
  6. date — the fruit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — of water
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. can — a tin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. spring — the season
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. perch — the fish
  24. arm — a part of something

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