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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chest · ground · bore · mouse · straw · current · bowl · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. chest — of your body
  8. current — of water
  9. ground — crushed
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. current — happening now
  19. chest — a box
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. current — electric
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. straw — a straw man

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