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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pop — soda
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fine — all right
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pop — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — for pool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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