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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wind — moving air
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fine — all right
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mine — for digging

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