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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. sharp — clever
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. march — the month
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. date — the fruit

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