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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: band · last · temple · straw · calf · dip · deal · kick

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. band — a ring
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. deal — to handle
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. band — a music group
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. dip — to sink
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kick — in football
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. last — final

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