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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. object — a thing
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. snap — to click
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — in football
  19. roll — a cake
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. roll — a list

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