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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: wake · row · toast · pit · content · hide · straw · lie

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pit — a hole
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. row — a line
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pit — in a race
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. content — the amount
  18. toast — bread
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — happy
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. row — to paddle
  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