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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. can — a tin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. firm — decided
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — a tin
  18. stem — to come from
  19. firm — a company
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. firm — steady
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. 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