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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. kick — in football
  10. capital — a city
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bound — certain
  13. face — to point toward
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. face — to confront
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. capital — money

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