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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. season — of the year
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cue — a signal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. drill — the tool

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