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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. drill — army training
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. band — a music group
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. tube — the underground
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. kick — in football
  14. tube — a container
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. key — in music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. drill — the tool
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kick — a thrill

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