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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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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: present · race · dip · scale · firm · saw · straw · temple

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. scale — in music
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. firm — decided
  12. present — there
  13. firm — a company
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. present — a gift
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. scale — size or range
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. race — the arms race
  24. present — the time now

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