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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: temple · nail · mouse · saw · straw · spring · ruler · net

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. net — after costs
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. net — in sport
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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