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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bound — tied together
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — the tool
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bound — certain
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. chip — to eat
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lash — an eyelash

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