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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. band — a music group
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cell — a phone
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cell — in biology
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rush — hurry
  13. suit — to fit
  14. band — a ring
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. suit — clothes

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