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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. season — in sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. season — of the year
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chest — a box
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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