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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lean — thin
  9. track — a song
  10. mate — a friend
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — to sink
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. track — a path
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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