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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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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — child
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kick — in football
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. row — to paddle
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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