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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: straw · foot · temple · swing · mouse · lean · dip · ground

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. swing — to play on
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. swing — in golf
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ground — a position
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. swing — music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. dip — to sink
  23. foot — a measure
  24. lean — to bend

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