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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 120 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: rush · pass · scale · firm · stem · chest · temple · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. chest — a box
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stem — to come from
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. scale — size or range
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. firm — steady
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. scale — in music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. temple — side of the head

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