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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. charge — electricity
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bound — obliged
  15. charge — a price
  16. bound — tied together
  17. tear — from crying
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. tear — to rip
  22. charge — in control
  23. bound — certain
  24. tear — from crying

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