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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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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. object — an aim
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cell — a phone
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. object — to protest
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. root — of a word
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. root — the cause
  24. mouse — the animal

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