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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — a grade
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mark — a trace
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wind — to turn a key

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