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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. last — finally
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lean — to bend
  9. object — to protest
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. object — a thing
  12. last — to go on
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rest — what's left
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. last — final
  21. object — an aim
  22. lean — thin
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lean — to rest against

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