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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wake — a trail
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — a match
  7. stock — shares
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stock — goods
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. game — wild animals
  24. temple — a place of worship

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