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

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. current — electric
  10. kick — in football
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. current — happening now
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rash — a series
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mate — to breed
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. current — of water
  24. kick — with a leg

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