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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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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: racket · deal · cold · toast · straw · perch · hide · pop

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. perch — the fish
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pop — to visit
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cold — not warm
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pop — soda
  20. cold — an illness
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pop — music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. toast — bread

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