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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. net — after costs
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. net — in sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. board — to get on
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. net — for catching
  13. board — a committee
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. staff — employees
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship

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