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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: pop · kid · straw · wound · suit · mouse · chest · bowl

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. chest — a box
  4. wound — an injury
  5. suit — clothes
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pop — music
  11. kid — child
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pop — soda
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. straw — a straw man

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