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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. drill — a practice
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. suit — to fit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. squash — the sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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