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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: current · game · mug · straw · rule · arm · temple · lean

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mug — a face
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. current — electric
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. current — of water
  7. rule — a law
  8. mug — a cup
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. current — happening now
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mug — to rob
  16. lean — thin
  17. game — a match
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lean — to bend
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rule — government
  24. game — a kind of play

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