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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. season — in sport
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. season — of the year
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. net — after costs
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. scale — size or range
  14. net — in sport
  15. shower — rain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. scale — in music
  18. net — for catching
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. kick — in football
  21. bound — tied together
  22. shower — to wash
  23. snap — to click
  24. bound — certain

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