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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: press · fall · lie · straw · temple · safe · ball · wax

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wax — to grow
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. press — to push
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fall — to drop
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fall — the season
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. lie — to recline
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. temple — side of the head

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