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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: scale · temple · row · straw · chest · ground · safe · chip

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. chip — for betting
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. row — to paddle
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. chip — to eat
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. row — a line
  12. scale — size or range
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ground — crushed
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ground — a position
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chest — of your body

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