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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: leaves · pitcher · chest · straw · craft · pound · bay · hide

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chest — a box
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. leaves — lets stay

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