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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 120 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: straw · saw · leaves · sharp · shower · bore · pop · hide

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pop — music
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to drill
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pop — to visit
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pop — soda
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. shower — rain
  21. bore — to tire
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. sharp — clever
  24. straw — dry grass

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