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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: straw · object · rock · lie · temple · cell · suit · press

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cell — a phone
  6. press — to push
  7. rock — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lie — to recline
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. object — an aim
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. press — a publisher
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. press — newspapers
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. suit — clothes

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