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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. drill — a practice
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. drill — the tool
  10. season — in sport
  11. squash — the sport
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. season — of the year
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. drill — army training
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mouse — the animal

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