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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: key · snap · bear · suit · temple · straw · mine · ruler

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bear — the animal
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mine — for digging
  15. suit — clothes
  16. key — in music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. ruler — for measuring

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