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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: season · straw · firm · arm · press · pitcher · temple · safe

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. firm — decided
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. firm — a company
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. press — a publisher
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. press — newspapers
  15. season — in sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. press — to push
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. season — of the year
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. firm — steady
  24. safe — a strongbox

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