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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bear — the animal
  4. suit — to fit
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bear — the animal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. foot — a measure
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. row — a line
  20. kid — child
  21. row — to paddle
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. temple — a place of worship

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