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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. game — a match
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. drill — the tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fine — high quality
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wake — a trail
  24. deal — a big deal

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