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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. kick — in football
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rash — a series
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. kick — a thrill

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