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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: lean · temple · object · straw · key · club · wave · dip

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. key — the most important part
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. lean — to bend
  8. key — for a lock
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — for golf
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lean — thin
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — a group
  18. object — an aim
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. key — in music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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