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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. track — a path
  3. kid — child
  4. cap — a hat
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kid — to tease
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. craft — a skill
  13. track — a song
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cap — of ice
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — boats
  20. cap — a lid
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lean — to bend
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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