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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 124 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. snap — to click
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. suit — clothes
  8. row — a line
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rest — a break
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pitch — completely
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. suit — in cards
  16. mate — to breed
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. suit — to fit
  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