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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. prune — to trim
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. club — for dancing
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spell — magic
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. club — for golf
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — letters
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — a group
  24. cabinet — ministers

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