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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.

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: cabinet · temple · straw · club · mark · land · face · staff

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. land — ground
  4. staff — employees
  5. mark — a trace
  6. club — for dancing
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. club — a group
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. land — to come down
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. face — part of the head
  15. land — a country
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. face — to point toward
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. club — for golf
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. staff — employees

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