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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 120 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. lean — to bend
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rash — hasty
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. degree — from a university
  14. craft — boats
  15. lean — thin
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. degree — an amount
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. craft — a handicraft

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