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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bore — to drill
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bore — to tire
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. toast — bread
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — army training
  24. cell — in a prison

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