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

Word bank: present · stick · straw · ground · mate · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. present — a gift
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ground — crushed
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ground — a position
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mate — a friend

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