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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 120 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: fall · temple · straw · lean · perch · mine · bound · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — thin
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bound — certain
  14. current — happening now
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. perch — the fish
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. current — of water
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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