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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 · root · ground · safe · pit · straw · craft · kid

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. kid — child
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. ground — the earth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ground — crushed
  12. craft — a skill
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ground — a position
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. root — the cause
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. craft — boats
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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