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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. row — a line
  3. game — a match
  4. deal — to handle
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. row — to paddle

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