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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. kid — to tease
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — a song
  15. bass — low music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bear — the animal
  18. track — a path
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. kid — child
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bear — to put up with

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