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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · straw · cell · temple · bowl · stand

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cell — in biology
  3. drill — army training
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. drill — the tool
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. drill — a practice
  18. straw — a straw man

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