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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. net — for catching
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. toast — bread
  20. bark — to shout
  21. kid — child
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. arm — part of the body

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