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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bound — certain
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mug — a face
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — for golf
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. present — a gift
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. can — a tin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. kick — in football
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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