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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. club — a group
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bore — to tire
  9. charge — in control
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bore — to drill
  12. charge — electricity
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. club — for golf
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. charge — a price
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — for dancing

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