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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pop — to visit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pop — music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pop — soda
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. land — ground
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rest — what's left

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