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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. sharp — clever
  4. row — to paddle
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. row — a line
  18. saw — the tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pit — a hole
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. saw — the tool
  24. sharp — exactly

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