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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: jam · straw · wind · cap · coach · temple · ruler · clip

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cap — a lid
  3. clip — for paper
  4. cap — of ice
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. clip — a video
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. clip — to cut
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. temple — a place of worship

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