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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stand — to bear
  6. game — wild animals
  7. key — in music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — to come down
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. key — the most important part
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. land — a country
  18. game — a match
  19. key — for a lock
  20. land — ground
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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