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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · temple · saw · bowl · cold · wave · rash · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rash — a series
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rash — hasty
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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