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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · kid · lie · straw · pass · rule

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. present — a gift
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. present — the time now
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rule — a law
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rule — government
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. kid — child
  17. present — there
  18. lie — an untruth

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