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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.

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: mouse · hide · club · ground · straw · lean · tube · board

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — for golf
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ground — the earth
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — to get on
  19. lean — to bend
  20. board — a committee
  21. lean — thin
  22. club — a group
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tube — in a tire

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