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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.

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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: mark · stick · hide · bear · straw · face · leaves · wound

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. face — to confront
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — a trace
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wound — an injury

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