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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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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: temple · bass · nail · mouse · trunk · straw · row · squash

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bass — low music
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. row — to paddle
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. row — a line
  13. squash — the sport
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a quarrel

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