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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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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: trunk · straw · game · temple · mouse · ruler · lean · snap

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lean — to bend
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — thin
  14. game — a match
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. snap — to click
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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