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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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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: present · calf · straw · mine · mark · temple · lean · fork

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mine — for digging
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — the time now
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lean — thin
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. mark — a grade
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. calf — of the leg

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