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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bound — certain
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cell — a phone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bear — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bound — obliged
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bound — tied together
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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