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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: temple · straw · calf · rash · bass · kick · pound · rest

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bass — low music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rash — a series
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rest — a break
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. pound — a weight
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. calf — of the leg

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