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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chip — for betting
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. chest — a box
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ball — a dance
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chest — of your body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ball — a great time
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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