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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: mouse · root · fine · temple · row · saw · wave · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fine — all right
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. row — a line
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. row — a quarrel

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