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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: face · straw · ground · stand · mug · snap · mine · temple

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ground — the earth
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ground — a position
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. face — to confront
  7. mine — for digging
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mug — to rob
  10. face — to point toward
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. snap — to click
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ground — crushed
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. stand — for spectators

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