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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. key — in music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. key — for a lock
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fall — the season
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. fall — to drop
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. key — the most important part
  19. kick — in football
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mouse — the animal

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