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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. prune — to trim
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. snap — to click
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pass — a permit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. prune — the fruit

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