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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: current · straw · march · rule · dip · pitcher · lash · temple

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. dip — to sink
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. current — happening now
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. current — of water
  13. rule — a law
  14. march — music
  15. rule — government
  16. current — electric
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. march — the month
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. march — the month

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