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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rash — hasty
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. charge — in control
  10. kick — in football
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. charge — electricity
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. charge — a price
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — a series
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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