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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. club — for golf
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. hand — help
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. club — a group
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. dip — to sink
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. hand — in cards
  24. dip — to dunk

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