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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · lash · rock · net · temple · firm · mouse · game

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. firm — steady
  4. rock — a stone
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. firm — decided
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. firm — a company
  12. net — after costs
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rock — music
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. game — a match
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lash — an eyelash

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