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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. squash — to crush
  3. last — to go on
  4. bore — to drill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. last — final
  7. fine — all right
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fine — high quality
  13. last — finally
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bass — low music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. arm — part of the body

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