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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. 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. kick — in football
  2. object — to protest
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. scale — size or range
  7. object — an aim
  8. ball — a great time
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. object — a thing
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. scale — in music
  14. shower — rain
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. shower — to wash
  18. 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