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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. club — for golf
  5. row — a line
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bat — the animal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — certain
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. club — a group
  20. bound — obliged
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bat — for baseball

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