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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. roll — a cake
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wound — an injury
  8. roll — a list
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wax — to grow
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. present — there
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wound — an injury

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