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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: nail · bear · temple · staff · straw · content · deal · rest

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. staff — employees
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rest — a break
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. content — happy
  13. deal — to handle
  14. staff — employees
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rest — what's left
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. content — the amount
  21. rest — what's left
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bear — the animal

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