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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. object — an aim
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. object — a thing
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. object — to protest
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bat — the animal
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. foot — a measure
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. straw — a straw man

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