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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: straw · saw · stick · hide · foot · temple · bear · object

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. saw — the tool
  3. object — an aim
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. object — a thing
  12. bear — the animal
  13. object — to protest
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bear — the animal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. saw — the tool
  24. temple — a place of worship

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