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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rash — a series
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. saw — the tool
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hide — to keep secret

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