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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: file · temple · straw · net · march · mouse

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. net — in sport
  3. march — the month
  4. net — for catching
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. march — the month
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. march — music
  13. net — after costs
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. straw — a straw man

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