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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. shower — rain
  4. club — a group
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. last — final
  8. net — after costs
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mark — a grade
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mark — a trace
  14. net — for catching
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. last — to go on
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. club — for golf
  21. net — in sport
  22. last — finally
  23. can — a tin
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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