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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: mine · snap · suit · straw · rest · foot · sharp · temple

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rest — what's left
  9. foot — a measure
  10. snap — to click
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. suit — to fit
  14. sharp — clever
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. suit — clothes

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