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

Word bank: straw · hide · rush · cap · game · bowl · nail · rest

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. game — a match
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rest — a break
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rest — what's left
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rest — what's left
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cap — of ice
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rush — to hurry

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