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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. court — of a king
  4. rest — what's left
  5. club — a group
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — the earth
  12. court — of law
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. can — a tin
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. club — for golf
  19. can — to be able to
  20. club — for dancing
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — for sport

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