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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. 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. straw — dry grass
  3. chip — to eat
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chip — for betting
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. snap — to click
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. 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