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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. charge — electricity
  5. tear — from crying
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. charge — a price
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. toast — bread
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bore — to drill
  13. charge — in control
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. squash — to crush
  17. tear — to rip
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. chair — a leader
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bore — to tire
  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