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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · bulb · mate · temple · foot · saw · ground · straw

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rock — a stone
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rock — music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ground — crushed
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. ground — a position
  21. mate — to breed
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. ground — the earth

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