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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: temple · nail · mark · cue · lean · prune · stick · straw

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cue — a signal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lean — thin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cue — for pool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mark — a trace
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to rest against

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