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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.

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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. present — there
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rush — hurry
  7. last — finally
  8. present — a gift
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. present — the time now
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. last — to go on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. sharp — clever
  22. dip — to sink
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. last — final

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