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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: row · saw · lean · straw · content · ball · hide · field

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. content — happy
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. row — a line
  10. field — farmland
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. field — for sport
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. field — a subject
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ball — a dance
  20. content — the amount
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ball — a great time
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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