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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rock — a stone
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. spell — a short time
  5. can — a tin
  6. key — for a lock
  7. chest — of your body
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. dip — to sink
  11. chest — a box
  12. rock — music
  13. kick — in football
  14. can — to be able to
  15. key — the most important part
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. key — in music
  23. can — a tin
  24. chest — of your body

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