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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kid — child
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. capital — a city
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. toast — bread
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. capital — money
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. safe — a strongbox

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