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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: snap · temple · lash · rock · tube · fork · straw · nail

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. tube — a container
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fork — in a road
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. snap — to click
  18. rock — a stone
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rock — music
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. tube — the underground
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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