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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mate — to breed
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — the tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. drill — a practice
  12. kick — in football
  13. bank — for money
  14. drill — army training
  15. squash — the sport
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bank — of a river
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mate — a partner
  24. racket — a loud noise

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