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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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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: roll · jam · toast · shower · hide · object · hand · straw

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. object — an aim
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. roll — a cake
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. toast — bread
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. shower — rain

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