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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. object — a thing
  6. sharp — clever
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. object — to protest
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. land — to come down
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. object — an aim
  18. land — a country
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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