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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kid — child
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. roll — a cake
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rush — hurry
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rule — government
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. roll — a list
  21. rule — a law
  22. kid — to tease
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rush — 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