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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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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: temple · suit · roll · cell · lash · pound · straw · saw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cell — a phone
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. suit — to fit
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cell — in biology
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. suit — in cards

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