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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: roll · mine · chip · ruler · temple · kid · mark · straw

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. roll — a list
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. chip — to eat
  16. roll — a cake
  17. kid — child
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. mark — a grade

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