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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: toast · sharp · lean · temple · cue · capital · straw · object

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. sharp — clever
  3. object — to protest
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. toast — bread
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cue — a hint
  10. capital — money
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. capital — a city
  16. lean — thin
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. cue — for pool
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. object — an aim
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. object — a thing
  23. cue — a signal
  24. sharp — with an edge

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