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

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. tube — the underground
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tube — a container
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bank — for money
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bank — of a river
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bank — for money
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. straw — a straw man

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