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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.

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: temple · jam · leaves · hide · hand · straw · tear · sharp

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. hand — help
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. tear — from crying
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. sharp — clever
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tear — from crying
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. tear — to rip
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. leaves — lets stay

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