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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: racket · clip · temple · deal · straw · firm · dip · bore

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. clip — for paper
  3. firm — a company
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. firm — steady
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. firm — decided
  10. clip — a video
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. clip — to cut
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. dip — to sink
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. deal — to handle
  24. dip — to dunk

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