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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. suit — clothes
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. last — final
  12. suit — in cards
  13. last — to go on
  14. suit — to fit
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. current — of water
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. last — finally

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