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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: root · kid · club · cabinet · net · straw · bore · temple

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. kid — to tease
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. root — the cause
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. club — a group
  9. net — in sport
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. net — after costs
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bore — to tire
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bore — to drill
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. net — for catching
  22. kid — child
  23. club — for golf
  24. root — of a word

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