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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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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: foot · temple · straw · mug · present · kid · net · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. foot — a measure
  3. kid — child
  4. mug — a cup
  5. present — there
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. present — the time now
  9. mug — a face
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. present — a gift
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. net — after costs
  21. mug — to rob
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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