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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · fork · jam · mate · dip · rash · straw · ruler

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. mate — a partner
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. mate — a friend
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fork — in a road
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mate — to breed
  24. dip — to sink

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