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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — a price
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. charge — electricity
  8. degree — an amount
  9. object — to protest
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. degree — temperature
  13. object — a thing
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. degree — from a university
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. charge — in control
  24. nail — for a hammer

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