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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · press · straw · roll · lash · temple

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. club — a group
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. roll — a list
  7. press — newspapers
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. club — for golf
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lash — to lash out

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