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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: lean · firm · kid · rash · foot · straw · game · temple

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. firm — a company
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. firm — steady
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rash — hasty
  14. game — a match
  15. lean — thin
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lean — to bend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. firm — decided
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rash — a series

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