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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rest — what's left
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. content — happy
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rest — a break
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chip — to eat
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. foot — a measure
  20. chip — for betting
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rest — what's left

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