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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: straw · can · temple · chest · rock · nail · stem · season

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rock — music
  7. season — in sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chest — a box
  10. season — of the year
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. can — a tin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stem — to come from
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. can — a tin
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  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